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3726CAC8.FIN NON Page 1 of 12 Exchange Mail DATE-TIME 4/5/99 8:45:59 AM FROM Sherman, David J. CLASSIFICATION UNCLASSIFIED SUBJECT Kosovo: U.S. Decisionmaking [UNCLASSIFIED] TO Curts, Brenda E. Gladura, Timothy L. Howerton, Barbara E. Knepper, Charlotte McCarthy, Mary O. Merchant, Brian T. Mitchell, Donald A. Sherman, David J. Ward, Steven R. CARBON_COPY TEXT_BODY Washington Post April 5, 1999 Pg. 1 Joint Chiefs Doubted Air Strategy By Bradley Graham, Washington Post Staff Writer In the weeks before NATO launched its air campaign against Yugoslavia, U.S. military chiefs expressed deep reservations about the Clinton administration's approach to Kosovo and warned that bombing alone likely would not achieve its political aims, according to sources familiar with their thinking. The Pentagon's senior four-star officers, meeting in closed-door sessions in the Pentagon's secure "tank" room, argued that the administration should use more economic sanctions and other non-military levers to compel Belgrade to make peace in the rebellious Serbian province before resorting to airstrikes. They also complained about what they saw as the lack of a long-term vision for the Balkans and questioned whether U.S. national interests there were strong enough to merit a military confrontation. "I think it's safe to say that I don't think anybody felt like there had been a compelling argument made that all of this was in our national interest," said one senior officer knowledgeable about the deliberations.